Lesson 1.7: Timeline and phased commencement

Module 1 · Lesson 1.7 of 8 · About 20 minutes · Timeline and phased commencement

The law is arriving in stages. Knowing the dates tells you what to do first. This DPDPA 2023 course page explains timeline and phased commencement in plain language.

timeline and phased commencement - DPDPA 2023 course lesson banner

What you will learn about timeline and phased commencement

Name the three commencement dates
Know which duties apply when
Plan your work backwards from the deadline

Three milestones (timeline and phased commencement)

The Rules were published on 13 November 2025. Some provisions started at once, others after 12 months, and the main duties after 18 months.

Live countdown

Days left until each milestone:

Consent Manager rules (Rule 4):
Core duties for all fiduciaries:

Click each milestone (timeline and phased commencement)

Tap or click a step to see exactly what to do.

What to do first

0 of 7 done

Appoint an internal owner for privacy
Build a data inventory (see the guide)
Review all forms and notices
List vendors that touch personal data
Draft a breach response plan
Set retention periods
Plan staff training

For the full plan, see the Timeline and deadlines guide and the 90-day playbook.

Activity (5 minutes) (timeline and phased commencement)

Write today’s date and count back from 13 May 2027. Split the remaining weeks into three phases: discover, fix, prove.

Key takeaway: Start with the inventory and notices. They take the longest and everything else depends on them.

Check your understanding of timeline and phased commencement

Q1. When did the Rules take first effect?

Q2. After how many months do the core duties arrive?

Q3. What is the best first project?

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Educational material for learning purposes, not legal advice. Check the official text of the DPDP Act, 2023, the DPDP Rules, 2025 and MeitY notifications for the latest position.

Official sources for timeline and phased commencement: Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 (MeitY, PDF) and DPDP Rules 2025, English text (PDF). Always check the latest official notifications.